They say that a good hotelier possesses a plethora of qualities. Leadership, discipline, communication, decisiveness, teamwork and the list goes on..
But why stop there? I feel that being a hotelier is more than just being good at your job.
“ It’s about knowing what your guests want even before they reach out to you. When you display acts of empathy, acts of basic human connection, you can rest assured that your service will set you apart from your competitors. In a good way of course! ”
For the purpose of this article, I went ahead and did a bit of research. Looked up a few hoteliers to see and understand what it is to be a hotelier and what I can take from it to add to my repertoire. A hotelier that I came across and resonated with is Bashar Wali. With over 20 years of extensive experience, you can well imagine the wealth of knowledge he has to offer. One of the most gripping things he said was, “We as human beings have a single most powerful tool in our arsenal and that is our ability to make human connections. I believe we are humans first and hoteliers second and that’s the key to our success.” He went on to speak about how there’s something intimate about entering someone’s living room and how there’s something intimate about staying in someone’s guest room. That, for me, really outlines what it is to be a successful hotelier.
Imagine you’ve had a long, 14-hour flight and you step into a hotel, welcomed like you were exactly who they were waiting for. You’re greeted with a warm smile, your needs are taken care of as if they’ve always known you. Would you want to leave? I sure wouldn’t! Whether it’s taking care of their food or entertainment preferences, from knowing how they like their steaks to understanding their sleep cycles, I want to ensure my guests can sit back and catch a breath.
Growing up, we were taught how significant hospitality is in Pakistani households. Catering to the needs and wants of your guests, and often going out of your way to accommodate them eventually becomes a part of who we are, especially in South East Asia. Wanting to become a chef has a lot to do with the spirit of hospitality and becoming a hotelier without hospitality is next to impossible. Serving people to see the smile on their faces, making sure they feel like they are looked after is a major reason why I want to be a chef. And if that leads to being a successful hotelier, even better! They say a soul is something that is intangible, not physical. So no matter how beautiful the design of a hotel is, no matter how well it dances to the music of its surroundings, if it lacks soul, it won’t live in the memories of your guests. As a hotelier I want to bring soul to the building that I work in. I want to make sure that my guests feel at home away from home.
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